Award nominations open — The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its annual Awards for Chamber Excellence awards, which are given to “members who demonstrate excellence in their business practices, are leaders in their industry and support the [Chamber’s] mission.” Nominations are due May 10. [Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce]

Raking in the moolah — Reston-based software firm NS8 raised $26 million in series B financing for its product to combat online fraud. [VentureBeat]

“Pints With a Purpose” — The Rotary Club of Reston has an event from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Lake Anne Brew House to benefit the Rotary Club of Reston Foundation, which supports causes in local schools and community groups. $1 from each pint will support a variety of programs in Reston. There will be a 50/50 raffle as well. All proceeds will benefit the Rotary Club of Reston Foundation. [Reston Now]

Despite some noble intentions, fundraising to save the Lakeside Pharmacy icons is not going well.

The Reston Historic Trust and Museum’s GoFundMe — which started in August — has only raised $1,663 of its $15,000 goal.

The goal of the fundraiser is to clean and reinstall the icons, currently being held in storage, in a new exhibit about the 1960’s pop art aesthetic that was a core part of early Reston history.

Alexandra Campbell, a media contact for the Reston Museum, said despite public interest — Campbell said stories related to the icons are some of their most popular social media posts — the donations to the fundraiser have been slow to trickle in.

While Campbell said there have been a few donations to the fundraiser outside of the GoFundMe, Carolyn Flitcroft, elected chair of the board for the organization, said in an earlier interview that it can be difficult to rally support for a fundraiser that’s for something that seems less dire than homelessness or hunger.

Campbell said the Reston Historic Trust is hoping for a boost with a fundraiser next week. A triathlon hosted by New Trail Cycling Studio and Lake Anne Brew House on March 27 will give a portion of the proceeds to the Reston Historic Trust.

Despite the fundraising setbacks, the organization is moving forward with the permitting process to get the icons on display. According to Campbell, the deadline to get the permits scheduled for review in April is next week, so it’s all hands on deck as the group works to get the application finalized.

Photo via Reston Historic Trust

Looking for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations? You’re in luck.

Whether you want to enjoy a pint of Guinness or dance an Irish jig, locals in Reston, Herndon and Great Falls have a variety of events to choose from.

Reston

The Foley Academy of Irish Dance will give a dance performance and lessons at the Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) on Saturday (March 16) from noon-1 p.m. All ages are welcome to attend.

Over at Reston Town Center (11911 Democracy Drive), a Lucky Leprechaun 5K will take place at 8 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day. Registration costs $40 until Friday (March 15) and then the price hikes up to $45. Online registration will remain open until 7:30 a.m. on the morning of the race.

The Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 N. Washington Plaza) plans to host a St. Patrick’s Day Weekend that kicks off on Friday (March 15) with a classic and modern rock performance. On Saturday, the tavern will have face painting from noon-4 p.m. before the Irish dance demonstration by the Foley Academy of Irish Dance begins.

The schedule for the Irish holiday itself is packed:

• DJ Crisis Panic: noon-8 p.m.
• face painting: noon-2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.
• Irish dance demonstration by Foley: starts at 4 p.m.
• Sam Gunderson & the Cactus Groove: 8 p.m.-midnight

The Lake Anne Brew House (11424 W Washington Plaza) will offer an Irish brunch on Sunday from 11 a.m.-noon. The menu will feature new twists on Irish favorites for $39.

Herndon

Over in Herndon, Ned’s Devine (2465 Centreville Road) will throw a party starting at 10 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day featuring back to back live acoustic acts, Irish dancers and party favors.

Performances include:

• Brian Franke: noon- 3 p.m.
• Laura Farrell: 3-6:30 p.m.
• Levi Stephens: 6-9 p.m.
• Screaming Monkeys: starting at 9:30 p.m.

P. J. Mulligans (2310 Woodland Crossing Drive) will feature Irish food and music over the weekend. On Saturday, a midnight Guinness toast will kick off St. Patrick’s Day.

Great Falls 

The Old Brogue (760 Walker Road) will celebrate its 38th anniversary with four shows and a pub bash.

Reservations are required for the four concerts by Tam McGeady and the Mostly Irish Band. The shows include food and range from $40 each for the two lunch-time shows to up to $50 for the last of the two evening performances.

Diners over the age of 21 also have the option of enjoying all-day entertainment by Ted Garber in the pub where traditional Irish beers will be served from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be a $10 cover charge.

Photo courtesy PRRacing

Updated at 2:35 p.m. — Includes updated numbers for the food pantry.

The holidays may be over, but one business at Lake Anne Plaza is continuing the season of giving and holiday spirit into 2019.

The Lake Anne Brew House (11424 Washington Plaza W.) hosted an ugly sweater fundraising party yesterday (Jan. 6) to benefit the food pantry at South Lakes High School.

Several realtors, including Rob Cox, Mary Miceli, Carol Welsh and Ben and Kristi Guidry from Long & Foster Real Estate, helped host the party, according to a Lake Anne Plaza Facebook post.

The Lake Anne Brew House credited Long & Foster in Reston with the idea for the party and sponsorship of the pizza.

The event collected non-perishable food items and personal products — along with a nearly $500 donation — for the school’s food pantry, where nearly 730 students can “shop” for food and toiletries.

The food pantry is designed to help close the hunger and nutrition gap for the 30 percent of South Lakes High School students who are on the free and reduced lunch program, according to the school. The food pantry distributes more than 175 bags of groceries and toiletries to more than 95 families each week.

Roberta Gosling, one of the founders of the pantry, told Reston Now that students from Langston Hughes Middle School, Terraset Elementary School and other South Lakes High school pyramid schools are coming to the pantry.

Since opening in March 2017, the food pantry has given out more than 8,000 bags of food, she said.

Photo via Lake Anne Plaza/Facebook 

In an effort to find more ways to activate Lake Anne Plaza with community programming, a new free harvest is coming to the plaza on Saturday (Oct. 27).

The free festival offers holiday tips, treats, live music, wine and beer and collection of fall-related products from the eleven eateries and shops at Lake Anne Plaza, according to Rachel Piering, who is helping organize the festival.

“The Lake Anne Plaza business[es] are working towards adding more events to the annual calendar – as a collective. We are doing more to make Lake Anne Plaza an anchor for activities in Reston. We wanted to add at least one more event to the lineup before the end of the year,” Piering told Reston Now.

The event will take place at the waterfront of the plaza from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Event organizers offered the following information about specials during the festival:

Café Montmartre: Virginia wine pairing and specials on Vienna Lager and Devils Backbone IPA

Chesapeake Chocolates: Free wine tasting featuring Virginia wines from 2pm-4pm. Virginia treats and chocolate apple dipping and first annual Fall for Peeps Display. 

Kalypso’s Sports Tavern: Specials on all Virginia wine and beer plus wine pairing/tasting

Kustard & Co: Buy one get one Seasonal Harvest Flavored Pumpkin scoops

Lake Anne Brew House: 20% off growlers refills and special prices on seasonal beers

Lake Anne Coffee House and Wine Bar: Dinner special inspired by Virginia Wines and Beers.

New Trail Cycling Studio: Sneak Peak of New Space, Membership Discounts and Bike Trail Maps

Reston Historic Trust & Museum: Happy Birthday Museum! Fall refreshments and sale on mugs, t-shirts, and memberships.

Reston Art Gallery and Studio: Hosting a fall craft project for kids from 10am-Noon.

Reston’s Used Book Shop: Sale on all Virginia Books and books about wine.

Small Change Consignment: 80% Off Halloween Costume Sale and extra 20% off toys and books.

The festival is produced by the Lake Anne Merchants Committee.

File photo

Lake Anne Plaza will become a melting pot of culture this Saturday as the Reston Multicultural Festival kicks off on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Attendees for this free event can enjoy arts, crafts, food, entertainment, shopping and other family-friendly activities. The program is available online.

Reston Farm Market is also celebrating it’s one-year anniversary under new ownership on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the market. The celebration features a fall festival with games, moon bounces, train rides and pumpkin pies. Admission is $10 per person and admission for kids under ages two and under are free.

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• Enjoy free Zumba at Life Time Athletic (1757 Business Center Drive) today from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Zumba Pool Blacklight Party.
• The Herndon Homecoming Parade is on Saturday from 9:30 a.m to 2 pm. on Elden Street. This year’s theme is Big Top. Bring a chair and support the Hornets in downtown Herndon.
• On Saturday, you can also help remove what Reston Association calls an “English ivy overload” on RA’s open space by participating in the organization’s Habitat Heroes event. Volunteers will work in various areas near the Wiehle overpass from 10 a.m. to noon.
• A green screen photo booth will be on-site at Reston Regional Library from 2-4 p.m. You can take your picture by placing yourself directly in a story.
• The Northern Virginia Senior Olympics will hold a Twilight 5K on Saturday at 6 p.m. at South Lakes High School. Residents of Northern Virginia who are 50 years or older are eligible to sign up.
• On Sunday, channel the seven chakras or energy centers within your body with this mindful painting workshop at Rise Well-Being Center from 2-5 p.m.
• If you’d rather be out and about on Sunday, you can take part in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Reston Town Center from 2:30-4 p.m. Registration is free and there’s no minimum fundraising requirement.
• And the annual Reston Runner tradition is back on Sunday. Participants will run from Reagan National Airport back to Reston beginning at 7 a.m.
• Lake Anne Brewhouse’s Saturday morning beer run is on at 9:45 a.m. The taproom opens at 10 a.m. for pretzels, coffee and beer.

File photo via Reston Community Center

The food pantry at South Lakes High School is moving beyond the typical scope of community pantries that give students in need a chance to discreetely shop for food and toiletries. In the coming weeks, the pantry, which currently caters to students in the SLHS pyramid and is run by the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association, will begin offering cooking skills classes.

The after-school cooking workshops will give students a chance to learn more about healthy eating. Through eight sessions during the school year on Wednesday afternoons, students will learn how to make one recipe using healthy ingredients and meal kits that do not rely on processed ingredients, according to Roberta Gosling, one of the founders of the pantry.  The initiative is made possible by a $7,000 grant from the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation.

The idea began to take root when Alana Pudner, a Girl Scout, approached pantry organizers with a three-meal pack she prepared to earn her Silver Award. Students began ordering the meal kit, which includes ingredients for veggie chili, lentil stew, and a tuna pasta casserole, as part of their weekly orders.

“To take that further, we also looked at some of the broader trends and felt that if we could help students learn to cook healthy, budget-friendly recipes that it would equip a broad group of people with life skills and take students a step closer to nutritious choices,” Gosling said.

Recipes will contain ingredients available in the pantry and through SNAP and WIC benefits. At the end of each session, students will get bags with recipes and ingredients, including a kitchen starter kit with basic tools like a cutting board, measuring cup, a pan, and spices used in multiple cuisines. Although the classes are open to all students at the school, organizers plan to market the class through the pantry to reach students most in need.  Each session will accommodate about 20 students.

Organizers are also making an effort to focus on foods from around the world. Shopping lists are available in English, Spanish and Arabic and participants will get a chance to try different cuisines in the classes.

Roughly 30 percent of all SLHS students experience food insecurity, according to pantry organizers and volunteers. Every Thursday, students in need turn in their shopping list for the week. Volunteers pack shopping bags and distribute them to students as they head out on Fridays. Students can also shop at the pantry on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m. and on Friday from noon to 3 p.m. The pantry is also open in the summer on Thursdays from 3-6 p.m.

Since April 2017, the pantry has filled more than 2,500 orders and weekly order averages are also increasing.

Now, pantry organizers and volunteers are looking for new ways to make the initiative more sustainable and comprehensive. On September 30, the school’s PTSA will partner with Lake Anne Brew House to present the “Do It Your Way 0.5K.” All proceeds from the event, which is set for 4-6 p.m. at Lake Anne Brew House, will go to the food pantry.

The pantry is led by Gosling, Abbe Pascal, Andy Sigle, Amy Shaw, and Sherri Pudner. Items in high demand include rice, beans, jelly, canned fruit, shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, and toothbrushes. Monetary donations are also accepted online.

Photos via Roberta Gosling

Virginia’s “LOVE” letters are making a comeback to the Lake Anne Plaza from May 31 through June 7.

The letters statue is known for photo opportunities. Lake Anne Brew House is encouraging locals to come to the plaza for the statue and to stay for local events on the plaza including a Pride Night event held at the brewery on June 1 from 4-11 p.m.

June is LGBTQ pride month. It was established to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, during which patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn protested to resist the harassment and persecution of LGBT Americans by the police, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Reston has other events in store for the month, including an inaugural Pride Festival, led by the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston.

File photo

Three hours to get to work — Thursday’s morning commute was complicated for some Northern Virginia residents. Congestion brought the toll on I-66 inside the beltway to $47. [The Washington Post]

Register for bike to work day — “Join more than 500 local commuters for a celebration of bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work by participating in the Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 18 from 6:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. at the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station.” [Reston Association]

Planting a beer garden — Herndon-based Aslin Beer Co. has opened a beer garden just outside of Nationals Park just in time for the Nationals home opener. [WTOP]

A reset in Reston — Fairfax County zoning officials won’t back off from commitments already made, despite pressure to allow fewer homes in Reston. [Greater Greater Washington]

Work from Lake Anne Brew House — The brew house is offering special deals at its first “work from the brew house” event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. [Lake Anne Brew House]

Photo by Ruth Sievers

What’s the buzz — Expect your cell phone to buzz loudly today between 10 and 11 a.m.. The county is participating in a wireless emergency alerts test. [Fairfax County Government]

An eye for that — The Eyewear Gallery in Reston Town Center recently completed renovations. [The Eyewear Gallery]

Celebrating two years — Reston’s first and only craft brewery, Lake Anne Brew House, is hosting a second anniversary on April 14. [Lake Anne Brew House]

Awareness about alcoholism — In honor of National Alcohol Screening Day, the county is offering a free, confidential online screening, which includes referral information on how to get help. [Fairfax County Government]

Photo via Savannah Bassett

Today is International Women’s Day and Lake Anne Brew House is brewing up something special to celebrate.

The business, which is located on 11424 Washington Plaza West, will join 15 breweries to make a special beer called 15 Shades of Grisette. The recipe was piloted at Lake Anne Brew House.

The collaboration is part of the Pink Boots Society Collaboration Brew Day, which aims to raise the profile of women’s roles in the beer industry.

A release party will be held at Old Ox Brewery on April 13, followed by a taproom release at Lake Anne Brew House on April 14.

Here’s more from Melissa Romano, owner of Lake Anne Brew House:

As a female owned brewery, with a female Brewer on staff, we are active members of the Pink Boots Society (PBS), which is an organization that supports women in the Brewing industry. PBS sponsors an annual collaborative Brewing day (on national Women’s Day) where breweries are encouraged to come together and Brew a beer which will be shared among all participants. Portions of proceeds realized from the sales of the beer at each location go to sponsor scholarships and programs funded by PBS.

Eric Lundberg, an engineer by training, began dabbling with pretzel recipes in his Reston home. The hobby, which he hoped would build bonding time with his daughter as she went through high school, transformed into something bigger: a locally-owned bakery called Nordic Knot.

His production quickly overwhelmed the countertops of his home, which he had certified for the business. After a temporary stint operating through Lake Anne Brew House, Lundberg has found a permanent production site for his bakery just two doors down from the business that drove his success, the brewhouse.

“This was a complete departure from what I’ve done before,” Lundberg said. “I’ve taken something I enjoy and turned it into a good product.”

The store on 11412 Reston Plaza West operates as a production center since late last year. Lundberg and Melissa Romano, the brewhouse’s co-owner, hope to establish a store in the spring. For now, they’re taking online orders, distributing wholesale and delivering locally.

Their business partnership grew from the moment Lundberg came to Romano with a brown paper bag full of pretzels and a business pitch before the brewhouse opened. Retail sales ran through the brewhouse since it opened in 2016.

“The pretzels were so amazing it was not a hard decision to forward and team up with Eric,” Romano said.

They’re now working on plans to capitalize on the emerging breweries market. Many local breweries lack fully operations kitchens, often leaving a good beer without good food to match, they said. They currently deliver to Black Walnut Brewery in Leesburg, Old Ox Brewery in Ashburn, and local businesses.

“We’re both community-minded individuals and Lake Anne really provides a good canvas for community-oriented businesses,” Romano said.

Nordic Knot also sends out an electric scooter to deliver locally on bike trails in Reston — an effort to embrace the “progressive” and “forward-thinking” feel of the community, Lundberg said.

They hope to open a storefront where customers can walk-in to place orders and take a bite sometime in the spring.

Photos by Studio-M Photos &  Jennifer Heffner Photography

Beer Run at Lake Anne Brew House Set for Wednesday — Runners can take a lap around the lake in Lake Anne Plaza at 6:30 p.m. The taproom will be open for runners and the cheering squad until 8:30 p.m. for beer and freshly-baked pretzels. All ages and paces are welcome. [Lake Anne Brew House]

South Lakes High School’s Football Team Overpowers McLean High School — The football team crushed McLean with a 77-7 win last Friday. The win, which happened on senior night, was the biggest margin of victory in four years. [South Lakes Athletics]

HighPoint Global Acquires Herndon-based Contractor — The company acquired Primescape Solutions, and information technology platform and services contractor, for an undisclosed sum. The move could improve the delivery of citizen experiences services to government agencies. The combined company could record around $140 million in annual revenue, according to a news report. [GovCon Wire]

Reston-based Serco, Inc. to Buy Massachusetts Firm — The 8,000-employee government services firm will acquire BTP Systems LLC in order to boost its hold over the defense sector business. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. [Washington Business Journal]

CEO of comScore in Reston to Retire in January — The news comes as the cross-platform measurement company settled a lawsuit with shareholder and activist Starboard Value.  [Washington Business Journal]

Beautiful homes around the community will be on display Saturday during the 16th annual Reston Home Tour.

The tour “focuses on six homes whose owners have moved in within the last few years and whose homes have given them a new perspective on their life, their surroundings and in some cases their attitudes.” The homes on the tour include residences on Bromley Village Lane, Hemingway Drive, Orchard Lane, South Shore Road and Spyglass Cove Lane, as well as at the Stratford condominiums. In addition, Reston Association’s Lake House and Bozzuto’s Aperture apartment building will be open for tour.

Tickets remain available online today for $30. On the day of the event, they can only be purchased in person at any of the homes on the tour or at the Reston Museum and Historic Trust (1639 Washington Plaza N.). All proceeds from the event benefit the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the past, informing the present and influencing the future of Reston through its educational programming, archives and exhibitions.

There is plenty else scheduled to take place this weekend in the area as well. Take a look at our list below.

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• A trail of illuminated hand-carved pumpkins is welcoming visitors to “THE GLOW: A Jack O’Lantern Experience,” now through Oct. 29 at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive). Presented by Townsquare Live Events, the “enchanting Halloween wonderland” features a third-of-a-mile trail decorated with more than 5,000 pumpkins. Tickets, which are $16 for kids ages 3-12 and $22 for adults, are available online and must be purchased in advance.
• Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 W. Ox Road, Herndon) will put on its Fall on the Farm festival this weekend. The event is scheduled for 5-9 p.m. tonight, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. In addition, Farm Harvest Days are slated for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• The Children’s Fall Flea Market at Reston Community Center is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 14 at RCC Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road). The price of admission is donation of one non-perishable food item, which will go to the RCC Thanksgiving Food Drive.
• In celebration of Fire Prevention Week, all Fairfax County Fire and Rescue stations will be hosting an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Citizens are invited to meet firefighters, see the fire trucks, join in the activities and learn about fire safety. Local stations include Reston (1820 Wiehle Ave.), North Point (1117 Reston Ave.), Herndon (680 Spring St.) and Fox Mill (2610 Reston Parkway).
• Lake Anne Brew House will hold a fundraiser for the South Lakes High School band, which is raising money to travel to Pearl Harbor, from 7-9 p.m. tonight. The Brew House will donate $1 per pint or soda purchased to the band.
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Light the Night” Walk will take place tonight at Reston Town Center. Event festivities will start at 5 p.m., with the 1.5-mile walk to go off at 7.
• The Runway to the Cure Fashion Show is scheduled for Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon at the Reston Town Center pavilion. Hosted by Scout & Molly’s, RTC and Athleta, the fashion show will highlight many designer fashions. Models are volunteers and include breast cancer survivors, customers and local high school students. Suggested donation is $25. All proceeds will benefit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
• “Sue Wrbican: Well Past the Echo” will be on view at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through Nov. 18.
• During “Giraffe-toberfest,” celebrate fall with animals at Roer’s Zoofari (1228 Hunter Mill Road) on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can meet the zoo’s giraffe “Waffles.” Tickets are $20 and all proceeds will support giraffe conservation.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Reston Association will hold an open house at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Ave.) from 10-11:30 a.m. Sunday.
• Author Karen See will discuss her book, “The Should Syndrome,” from 4-6 p.m. Sunday at Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.).
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday from 6-10 p.m; and Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) every Saturday from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.